Super Famicom on the SNES? Nakitek Game Saver+ Review
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2016
- I ended up with a few Super Famicom games, but only have a US-release SNES to play them on. Let's take a look at a product that lets you get around Nintendo's region lockout!
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This Does Not Compute
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There have been many comments explaining that one simply needs to snip out the plastic tabs to be able to play Super Famicom games in the SNES. That's certainly the easiest and cheapest option, but this video is for those who aren't interested in modifying their console -- regardless of what their reason might be.
This Does Not Compute Fair enough. I thought it was really odd that you wouldn't modify the system since you're so quick to snip up your DMGs for mods :p
+This Does Not Compute You don't need to power it at all to use it as a pass through, if you do it degrades the image quality output of the SNES. I found using a separate power supply or batteries eliminated any picture interference when powering the game saver+ to use its save feature.
could it be possible to swap the motherboard from the Japanese cartridge to an American send card? but thanks for the great video.
This Does Not Compute thanks for letting me know about the Nakitek Game Saver👍🏽 and also that information about the original Nintendo because I was wanting to use regular Nintendo games on my Super Nintendo but obviously without some highly modifications internally probably to be able to play NES games on Super Nintendo. I Think I'm better off just buying a Nintendo from the local retro store or even have one custom colored made.
I never realized or thought about using this before I modified my system by taking out the tabs obviously. But like you said I think for any one such as myself who has a collector of retro games this would be a good add to my collection being that I am moving to a country where they use PAL/Famicom
And yes they are not that expensive but I did notice one on Amazon that even had the super Nintendo logo and was going for about $29.99 plus an additional $3.73 so basically a few cents short of $34 total but as you said I don't think it comes with the instruction manual. It says it's brand-new so again I'm thinking that they were in storage and now that the retro game is becoming bigger as you can see because the price has gone up $10 in one year. They are starting to release them but again I don't see any instruction manual or anything but the hardware which again I am also clueless on why they would even put their name on the product and it not come with the instruction manual🤔🤔🤔 because I honestly would not know how to use this equipment without watching your video which by the way is awesome. Also I love your green and I believe small blue Yoshi in the background 😉
I myself have two Mario and a baby blue or sky blue Yoshi with the purple with yellow bottom shoes 👌🏽
Did u find yours at a retro store? Your Yoshi plush toy? lol
i think a invisible mod like cutting tabs inside a console is a good thing,it kinda add value instead of removing them,obviously the mod need to be clean,i have a snes and a n64 modded this way that is invisible from the outside.
Sir, Nintendo made a region lock system on SNES. it's on the cartridges it's called CIC. But, Japaneses games and US games if i don't makes mistakes shares the sames CIC. There's a Wikipedia page on that subject.
You can also use a Game Genie or an Action Replay as a pass through. But this only works on US SNESes, Nintendo put more region coding in PAL SNESes.
Larry Bundy Jr this is what i did. Got a genie for 20 bucks. Then snipped the genie keeping my snes intact.
i was wondering "what about my uk snes" so thanks for that bit on the end ! :)
You have to cut the Game Genie to fit SFC.
Just use emulator
Bugi Bugati *sigh*
How does an emulator let us fit Super Famicom games in a North American SNES? It doesn’t. It just lets us play the game in the way my computer can best approximate it. It’s not the same and is not a solution for someone who is still interested in playing on original hardware.
The Nintendo 64 also had a similar regional lockout system.
US and Japanese release carts were exactly the same shape but the position of the lockout notches are different.
This was my first TDNC video and I really liked it! Subscribed - looking forward to more!
I have no idea how I missed your channel as I've been in two retro gaming for some time... But I really like your videos. Nice style of narration, well filmed, good info... Thumbs up!
Thank you!
your production values are great for such a small channel! I love your content.
I just wiggled the tabs out with pliers. No need to disassemble the unit. Just grab them with pliers and wiggle back and forth until they break out. It works fine.
I can't believe how well you make your videos,i am surprised you don't have more subscribers.
have you heard of avgn , or pat the nes punk
avgn has 2 million+ subs and pat the nes punk 200 00+
Great video, Colin! As a recent subscriber I can honestly say your channel is one of my new favorites! Thumbs up from me! Also, when cleaning your games and systems (both internally and externally) what are your preferred cleaners/ methods of cleaning? Your stuff is always like new! Anyways, thanks again for the video. I'm gonna pick one of these up!
My process for cleaning consoles is pretty simple -- just take them apart down to the bare plastics, then soak them in a sink full of warm soapy water. If there's stubborn dirt, use a soft-bristled toothbrush, then leave the parts out to air dry. It's amazing how well some stuff cleans up!
+This Does Not Compute Do you use RGB Scart with you're retro consoles?
I'd still prefer removing the tabs (it's free) xD
Not mention looking A LOT better (well, actually looking like nothing at all :D ) than sticking on a fugly af device.
The timing of running into this video is great! I just purchased a Famicom version of Super Bomber Man. I love your videos and the subject matter! Looks like you do a lot of retro stuff :) So, weird that things I grew up with are considered retro. But, Super Mario World was released 26 years ago. LOL, that make me feel old. Keep up the good work brotha and stop by our channel when you get a chance. We did a vlog about the Pin Ball Hall of fame in Las Vegas.
- Neil
Yeah, that's the downside to retro gaming -- it certainly reminds you of your age! Thanks for the kind words!
LOL, it does.
Thanks for this video. I love ways to help you play famicom carts
I just stuck something inside the cartridge slot to keep the flaps open and cut away at the tabs with a small knife. When there was a large enough cut, I took needle nose pliers and twisted until it came off. Didn't have to open my console. Granted, this was done on a second console I found at a thrift store for a few bucks so I didn't mind the risk. When I did it on my original SNES which is the jr model, I actually took the time to take it apart and do it properly.
Cool video Colin, maybe next time you could make a video on the Gamecube Region Lock Switch, I want to learn how to make that Mod myself!
great info thanks!😀
Very nice, I have a few Super Famicom games that I really want to complete with a friend. This is awesome.
I remember Naki. I remembered when my parents bought me one of their products, which was a bag that was able to house my Sega Genesis console, as well as my game cartridges. It was pretty cool. They went out of business around the early 2000s, and the last known product that I heard about was their DDR dance pad, which I heard was absolute crap. Another thing I heard was that their customer service phone line didn't work at all. But still, this Game Saver is rather interesting. Had I owned a Super Nintendo instead and wanted to play imports, I probably would've bought that with my allowance money. Whether it was Naki's intent or not, it's still a cool feature to have.
You've ramped up your video production. Not sure if the intro is new in the video or if I haven't seen some of your latest videos, but nonetheless things look great. Still wondering if I'll end up seeing you out and about one of these days since we're both in MN!
Thanks for the kind words! I'm always trying to improve my videos however I can.
Nice video! A few things:
The lockout chip on the NES was really for region locking, it was to prevent piracy and unlicensed games. The Famicom had no lockout chip.
At 2:03 you're inserting the game the wrong way. If you look at the clip when you remove the PCB from the cart, the rom are facing away from you. It should be inserted into the console with the roms away from you as well.
The Toploader NES also didn't have a region lock out chip enabled too, so it can play PAL Games ^^
A few SNES/SFC games do have have cartridge-based region lockout, such as the original Japanese revision of the SGB, games that ahve special chips such as the SA-1 used in SMRPG and the PAL exclusive, Terragamia. There are a handful of other games as well.
I thought the machine allowed you to transfer saves from the cartridge to the computer for backup, that would have been an instant buy for me. Great video as always Colin
You can move saves back and forth from cartridge to SD Card with a Retron 5 ;)
I think more important than not modding is the fact that this has a save and load option. But it’s cool that you don’t want to mod a classic console.
I bought my SNES day one, so it's not "vintage" to me. I clipped out the tabs about a year later when I imported DBZ Super Butoden. It was an insanely amazing mod. So for me, that mod has worth as it was done back in the day and has a real life story behind it.
I didn’t "hack up" my console either, I just used.needle nose pliers and pushed them through the cart slot. No unscrewing is necessary. :)
Cool review and a neat item.
Conversion carts where a mainstay in the EU/PAL import scene.
I picked up a couple of these about 2 years ago on eBay, for about $5 a piece. The pictures showed the cartridges from an ad, with NakiTek labels but the devices I received didn't have labels, boxes or printed manuals, only a folded instructions page and clear shipping bags. I thought it was strange that they were in "bare bones" condition but they were new and cheap so I didn't mind. They also work fine, except for Mega Man X but I'm sure it's the specialty chip that screw balls the save feature. There must of been some new old stock of these discovered because I've never seen a complete version besides the ads back in the day. Still a great find.
I am glad to know that there is an accessory for SNES that makes save states on the real console, but I would never hesitate to take away those plastic tabs from any console. It's not a mod, it's a correction.
I live in the UK and have a Japanese Super Famicom. I once did the disassemble method in order to play my US Mario RPG on my console. I have considered buying Super Famicom cartridge shells for my US SNES games and I may do just that. If I had a US SNES, my means of playing Super Famicom games would be to mould notches into each Super Famicom cartridge.
Just use a Game Genie or Action Replay to bridge the cart to the console?
If you don't plan to play many import games in a short period of time, it's much easier just to swap the cartridge cases. I keep several copies of cheap Super Scope games around. When I want to play a SNES game on my SFC, I just open it up and put the board in an SFC case. I label the top of the cart with a sticky note tab so there is no future confusion about the board inside.This requires no cumbersome adaptor or console mutilation and works perfectly.
Removing the region-locking plastic tabs on a Game Genie would work too.
I recall trying to do the reverse to play DKC on my SFC in 2007. DKC would not work through either the NAKI Game Saver+ nor the Pro Action Replay. In the case of the Pro Action Replay it was triggering DKC's SRAM check copy protection screen. The issue with the Game Saver+ was that I lost my code for DKC. I got mine from Wal-Mart around 1998 and I recall talking to NAKI's 800 number rep to get a compatibility code for DKC but I have no idea what I did with it. I was surprised the number still worked even then! Inside are Bung chips and Bung made the Doctor SF7 SNES backup device which had similar capabilities as well as enabling piracy. I always wondered if it was a cut-down SF6, 7, or whatever inside.
You could also just buy a simple passthrough adapter. That's what I did. I didn't want to hack away at my SNES either. I do have one of those Game Saver+ I bought back in the day.
Huh, very interesting. Thank you for this
I still think the best option is to swap the circuit board feom a Japanese cartridge to a us cartridge they fit without issues.
The CIC (aka the lockout chip) was mostly to prevent piracy and non-licensed games. It exists in the SNES as well.
I got myself Supaboy and Retro Duo Portable 2. It works with SFC cart and you can plug them to TV.
I took the front clip off of a game genie and use that to make it work.
Awesome find on the sailor moon games.... the snes ones are pretty good :)
its something like the action replay back in those days
Colin you're the greatest thank you for your informative & outstandingly awesomeness of videos! They oughta give you your own tv show on PBS called This Old Electronic House! Keep the videos going i absolutely will be a proud lifetime subscriber. May the Force be with you! Have a great day/night
Sounds interesting. I do not have any SFC games myself but I do own both a game genie and Pro action Replay 2 i am guessing one of those will do the trick as well.
yo! had no idea the game saver would allow you to play famicom games too thanks for the info.
Here in Brazil we cut, rip and glue to make stuff works. Actually, you guys would be appalled on how Brazilians do all kind of shananigans to make games work lol. My Super Famicon had a technician solder different connectors to make things work in my TV in the 90's. My friend had his Super NES sanded to make S Famicom games work.
Some games have a region detection that is combined w/ the copy protection system. Naturally sometimes this has a false-positive when the game is plugged into something like a US Game Genie on a US SNES.
This device seems like it'd be more useful for getting a Japanese Super Famicom to play American games than the reverse, unless you're really particular about modifying your SNES. I had no worries about modifying mine to accept Japanese games when I wanted to play my copy of Godzilla Monster War.
The save feature seems like it'd be a godsend for Lets Players and Streamers though. If for some reason a game is taking too long to finish in one sitting, you can take a break from the stream and pick things up where they left off.
I thought you could use a SNES Game Genie to do this as well. Not sure what current prices are of those compared to what's in the video. Another note, if you use a wood file you can shave those region lock tabs without opening up the console then needle nose pliers to pull the rest off if you have to. Nice video nonetheless, never knew such a device existed. Maybe the feel and smell of the plastic will tell you if it's a knockoff. Also, try using batteries and see if the save works better. Maybe while tapped into the SNES for power it's not getting enough?
I would like to mention that this also works the other way around and lets you play SNES games on your Super Famicom which is great cause if you're like me I choose to buy a Super Famicom because everything for it is simply cheaper.
I know this is quite old but if game genie works it is a cheap alternative to modifying the system. The save device has gone up since this vid was made
I have a super famicom and use a similar device to play US cartridges. Mine was more expensive but it sits much lower on the console. Its called a "SNES slot protector". I'm assuming that means I'm supposed to keep it inserted forever to save wear on the pins in the Super famicom. Its all good though. If I didn't have this slot protector I would just unscrew the carts and take the roms out and put them into a Super Famicom shell. There are millions of horse racing games going for 99 cents on ebay to get host shells from.
Uploaded on my birthday
Very cool I think I'll have to pick one of these up!
Just as a side note, the n64 uses a similar form of region lock , but the change is only on the back part of the cartridge,
So if you live in the USA and want to play an EU/JP game, you can literally just swap the backs of the cartridge, and play any out of region game on an unmodified USA n64!
Sure that means that the game you swapped from is now out of your region, and that's why you use cheap sports games :)
They also make region adapters that used to be pretty cheap. I probably paid like $10 about 10 years ago
yeah, but even so, I prefer the flush fitting of a converted game.
I've got one of these when its turned on to use the game save feature it parasites its power from the SNES's PSU it courses subtle image degradation I solved this by using an independent power supply for the device. When used as a pass-through only it doesn't require any power and if the power switch is turned off on the device it will not effect image quality at all.
you can also buy snes converters that are like the nes ones but this one sounds cool
Those Sailor Moon SFC games are dirt cheap it's insane when you check out the Megadrive version of the game and it goes for super high amounts by comparison.
i think a invisible mod like cutting tabs inside a console is a good thing,it kinda add value instead of removing them,obviously the mod need to be clean,i have a snes and a n64 modded this way that is invisible from the outside.
I have one of those nakitech plus devices for the super Nintendo entertainment system
thankfully i have a japanes snes, but this is a great option too
You should get a basic adapter. I got mine today and it works on SF and SNES.
I'd like to add: this works the other way around too. SNES games won't fit into the SFC, but a NakiTek Game Saver will allow them to.
What about super effect chips games? I have an RGB moded SFC and a lot of US SNES carts that I would like to run there, without taking the PCB out of the actual cassette.
Man did you tried this with games like MArio RPG, Dragon Ball Hyper DImension or the FX games? I own some OL SNES copiers like the SUper UFo 8 and they also have the Sav state feauture and work as a cartridge "region" convertor at the same time, but sadly not all games work with the "conversion" anbd just fail in loading...games like the ones I mentioned
Uhhm, I purchased this from the seller you described.... Its in awesome condition. I actually purchased it so I could play US "box" style SNES games on my Super Famicom... The power-plug is different. Shit. Maybe it will work without power as a simple pass-through device. I should have remembered about the plug issue.
Planning on buying an SNES soon, might have to pick this up as Japanese games go quite cheap!
i was about to type, just use pliers but than you said without modding your snes
Do you know if this works with the Super Game Boy 2?
Will this work in a PAL SNES?
The reason for wich i think they didn’t advertise it as also to be a multi region adaptor is to avoid nintendo knocking on their door.
I took out the tabs in my SNES and worked with that for a while but eventually ended up buying a Super Famicom, only because they look so much nicer than the american model.
Nice video man keep it. Can you do some pc engine stuff? Please
It's funny how you put the bare PCB the wrong way in the Snes :)
The AC plug attached to the unit as well as the socket on the unit are both for the American Super Nintendo. So the Super Famicom version must be different.
Just modify the console. You can't see it and if you use those sharp wire clippers it comes out super nice... even though you can't see it.
The SNES uses the exact same lockout system as the NES like the 10-NES. The difference here is that US and Japan were set as the same region (for lack of better way to say it) with the physical shell (as mentioned in the video) being the determining factor. To add the reason for the blinking light on the NES while yes had to do with the 10-NES it was more due to poor contact between system and cart as the toaster pin slot was a terrible design functionally speaking resulting in poor feedback to authenticate to the 10-NES as top loaders in the day didn't have the problem atleast not as bad (likely due to cart size.) In addition, I imagine improvements were made to the protocol when the system checks allowing for minor errors or simplifying the code in general(maybe the reason US and Japan are the same region chipwise) but these are just guesses.
Is it possible to play Japanese SNES games on PAL SNES Consoles?
We pretty much have the same designed console as the Japanese did.
Truth is you don’t need to mod your American SNES to play Japanese/European versions, nor buy weird peripherals. The only thing you need is a screw driver game bit 3.8 and you can swap game boards from a Japanese shell to an American one and viceversa.
Is there a genesis version?
Is there something to get a super famicon to play snes games?
Will this accessory work on the Super Famicom or the SNES Jr.?
You know how cool it would've been if other consoles like the PS2 had this? No more failing hard/unfair missions or dying in the GTA games in such a bullshit way to the point where you have to drive all the way back to the mission marker just to try again, and god knows how many controllers i've broken when i played GTA 3/VC/SA, LCS and VCS. This would of also helped so much if you were having trouble with a WWE game and you can't get a reversal to work and your opponent just beats the living daylights out of you or you lost too many matches in a row.
I hate wasting money buying third party accessories so I just took the easy way like all those other folks and took those darn SNES wisdom tooth out. That way it opens the bridge to Super Famicom games on my Super NES.
Could have just bought a GameGenie, it's less bulky.
theimporter Game Genie needs the tabs cut too.
@@emmettturner9452 It's not the same as hacking up a mint SNES though
@@BryanX64 You were positioning it as a less bulky alternative to the Naki GameSaver and said he only needed to buy it... not buy and modify. Granted, it's not that much effort, but it is more than just buying it. That said, I ended up modifying a GameGenie for this even though I've owned a GameSaver+ since the '90s.
That's because the GameSaver+ was triggering Rockman 7's anti-piracy routines. So, yeah, the GameSaver or GameSaver+ does not make an ideal import adapter for everything. ;) Too bad the GameGenie isn't ideal for everything either, since it does not have all the pins needed for every game. :(
There's a certain irony in a video from a console modder about how to do something without modding your console :)
True
Someone should sell replacement parts for the cartridge holder thingy, so that you just replace them and make you're SNES region free
I believe the cartridge well is part of the top shell, so you'd need to replace the entire upper half of the SNES. That's a little bit more extreme than the mod option of cutting the small tabs inside the cartridge well (an invisible mod). I get that people might not want to make that sort of a permanent change to their console (I wouldn't do it to my childhood SNES), but replacing the entire upper half of the console isn't really a great alternative :)
Another popular workaround that people use is to buy a SNES Game Genie and snip the tabs off that instead: you can then put a Japanese game into your North American Game Genie without modifying your console. The downside: the Game Genie lacks the two side prongs of the cartridge slot, which were used on games with enhancement chips, so it does't work with all games.
Adam Zey I've seen you on My Life in Gaming's channel before xD
Easier if you change the US plastic cartridge by a JP one.
if you don't want to hurt your snes in any way, the game saver is for you
Another cheap option is a used XBAND modem. And it's no batteries required.
Now I can get a physical copy of Megaman X3 without going broke.
goldenmario52 You could get a SD2SNES Flashcart, that'll allow you to buy almost any game on the SNES (including the chip-enhanced Mega Man X games).
Pug Hoof Gaming
I like collecting though so I don't want to get one of those cartridges that use SD cards.
Can you use a game genie to do this?
Yes
You need a S Video Mod in your snes.
what I do when I want to play a super famicom on my super Nintendo I get my screwdriver to open the game and I have a empty super Nintendo game case from a game that was broken and I put the famicom game in it and play it no modification necessary and when im done i put the game back in its original case screw it shut and that's it
@1:47 you had to DISASSEMBLE the SNES to remove those tabs? I did it without a screwdriver and I was 14 at the time!
of course the save option on this device is nice. it would be the primary reason I would buy it
I wouldn't hesitate modding the living crap out of a Snes. I'd install an analogue stereo out in the form of a 3.5 inch headphone jack and , get it displaying RGB (if it isn't already), file away / remould physical cartridge constraints and - especially if it's a PAL unit - install a 50-60hz region switch too. And I'd use big fat clicky switch too - none of this switchless internal witchcraft either, or multicoloured LEDs. My machine is would be proud of its brute-forced augmentations and powers. But first I need to figure out why my N64 doesn't on.
So this thing allow saves states like on advance flashcarts and emulators but with your real cartridges I don't understand how Krirkzz or Terraonion doesn't sell a modern better version of this for Megadrive and SNES
Or get a Game Genie and cut out the tabs on those, much easier than going into the console
But cutting tabs is free
the super game genie method is way easier
just like swapping the circuit board into the housing of a cheep snes sports game cart that is a dime a dozen
@@Sebastian-xy3xk That's fine if it doesn't bother you but some people don't want to hack up their console
Can't you also use the game genie
It's funny that its easier to just cut out the tabs cic is only for pirated games to be non playable and I do understand why he doesn't want to cut the tabs when the console is in great condition
you dont need to take apart the console at all. just get a good snips. on a side not the nakitek is an amazing peice of hardware that almost everyone uses for learning speedrun strats
I think I have the same camera
I'm just noticing how pretty his eyes are
are you sure the region lock is mechanical?
With PAL Games this won't work because Nintendo put a lockout chip on all NTSC and PAL Consoles that won't let them play each other's games. You will need to mod your SNES to disable the lockout chip as well as add a 50/60hz switch to make sure all PAL Games are compatible in a forced 60hz mode (Some later released SNES games like Terranigma could detect if the lockout chip was disabled so this led to 50/60hz video detection to act as another region lock. You would have to begin in a 50hz video mode with the lockout chip disabled for a few seconds until the SNES is finished with the Region Lock check, then after this check switch it to 60hz so that NTSC TVs can display the game as well as not have the about 13% slow down that comes with most PAL Games as a result of the NTSC to PAL Standard Conversion). The more expensive route but more safer route (Because the mod is a bit difficult) would be to buy a special converter like Datel's Universal Game Adapter or Action Replay MK2/3 which was originaly advertised to let European Gamers to play NTSC Games on PAL Hardware, however these type of adapters were also built to work the other way around too (PAL to NTSC). For some of the later games however, like Terranigma with the 50/60hz check it could run into issues esspecially with the Action Replay MK2/3 (Which has to be a certain BIOS version to work with all games). I'm not sure about the other adapters, however but I have heard that some should work properly. As for Super Famicom games, the internal differences are the exact same as the North American SNES consoles (They even have the same region lock chip and code!). So you would only have to take out the tabs in a North American SNES to make Japanese games fit and play ^^.
How about you just want to use the Super Famicom itself or use the European Version and somehow get a power converter for it?
Wow I've never even heard of this, great video.
so will japan's cartridges will work on my pal snes ?
No. They are identical and in theory would work but the 50/60hz difference between the two prevents it from running. You'd need to mod the console or have an adapter that switches between 50/60hz to play them.
PandaXclone2
ok thanks mate